Method of making fastener tape



Feb. 23, 1937. F. E. WILSON METHOD OF MAKING FASTENER TAPE Original Filed Aug. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2

G m/a MJsuw Feb. 23, 1937. F. E. WILSON METHOD OF MAKING FASTENER TAPE Original Filed Aug. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuenl oz Feb. 23, 1937. F. 2. WILSON METHOD OF MAKING FASTENER TAPE- Original Filed Aug. '28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 N .filllll NnO 1937. F. E. WILSON METHOD OF MAKING FASTENER TAPE Original Filed Aug. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F'IGJ4' FIG. 15

gnoenl'oc duiouww FIG. 17

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING FASTENER TAPE Frank E. Wilson, East Cleveland, Ohio, minor to The Wilson Fastener Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 28, 1931, Serial No. 559,919

Renewed March 4, 1936 17 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide for the rapid and economical manufacture of fastener tape, comprising strips of fabric having periodically located snap fastener members. I prefer to locate all of the stud members on one strip and all of the socket members on the other, all equally spaced; although, if desired, both types of members might be alternately arranged on each strip, and for some uses an unequal spacing might be employed.

The fastener tape produced by this invention comprises a strip or strips of fabric having at least two plies, one surmounting the other, suitable reinforces applied to one ply in periodic regions, snap fastener members located between the plies and registering with the reinforces, and annular courses of stitching passing through bgth plies of fabric and. reinforces and snugly embracing the fastener members to holdthem in definite positions. The periodically located reinforces enable the fasteners to be held firmly in place while allowing the body of the fabric to be suificiently light and flexible to readily adapt itself to the garment.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof, which show the finished tape and also various stages thereof toward completion, and various illustrative mechanisms which may be employed in connection with the process.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a plan of one of my fastener tapes carrying the socket members; Fig. 2 is a plan of the co-operating tape carrying the stud members; Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections of the respective tapes as indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the tape shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the fabric portion of the strip of Fig. 2, showing it before being longitudinally folded, after being given its fold, and, after folded, and as the fold is being turned back, respectively; Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the fabric strip of Fig. 2 after the reinforces have been applied thereto, this view showing transverse strips of fabric and 0 adhesive from which the reinforces are cut; Fig.

10 is a perspective of the reinforced strip of Fig. 9 after the stud fasteners have been put in place and the edges refolded; Fig. 10a is a similar view illustrating the fabric strip of Fig. 1, showing the means of holding the socket members temporarily in place on the reinforces; Fig. 11 is a view illustrating the means for making annular row of stitches about either fastener member; Fig. 12 is a longitudinal vertical section through a machine for applying the reinforces to the fabric and punching holes through the center of each reinforce-and the adjacent fabric; Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse section of such machine, as indicated by the line l3l3 on Fig. 12; Fig. 4 is a. sectional elevation of the means for ironing the completed strip; Fig. 15 is a perspective illustrating the device for unfolding the original folded strip to enable the reinforces to be ap-,

plied thereto; Fig. 16 is an enlarged cross section through the fabric carrying the socket members, before the stitching has been applied; Fig. 17 is a view illustrating the removal of the temporarily employed stud members after the stitching has been applied around the socket members.

The fabric strip A, which is shown as carrying the socket members, preferably has a wide intermediate zone a and two edge zones 0, a the zone a being materially wider than the zone a, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 16. The fabric strip B, which, in the drawings, carries the stud members, preferably has an intermediate zone b and two edge zones 1) and b of about equal size folded over onto the intermediate zone. Of course, the strip A might carry the stud members, and the strip B the socket members, if desired,

The reinforcing patches C are preferably secured to the inner face of the wide edge zone a of the strip A, while the corresponding patches C are secured to the inner face of the intermediate zone b of the strip B. As shown,-the socket members D lie between the fabric zones (1', and a, and have their sockets facing and registering with openings 0. in the zone a, and the stud members E have their bases lying against the reinforces C' and their studs e extending through openings 1) in the intermediate zone b of that strip.-

Each fastener is secured in place by an annular row of stitches; thus, the row of stitches F, in Fig. 1, passes through the ply a, through the reinforce, and through the ply a of the fabric. In Fig. 2 the row of stitches F passes through the intermediate ply b, through the reinforce, and through both extreme plies b and b In each case, therefore, the fastener is snugly embraced by the annular row of stitching which lies as close as possible to the edge of the fastener and serves to draw the fabric plies on each side thereof tautly across the fastener, thus effectively holding it in position, so that it cannot shift or turn over, notwithstanding the subsequent stretching of the tape in washing or use.

In each strip the annular course of stitching is continued beyond a complete circle, as illustrated by the two stitches. f in the drawings, though the second turn might itself be a completecircle. This overlapping effectively locks the ends of the thread, preventing ravelling and allowing each end to be cut of! close to the fabric.

The problems which have been solved by this invention are the rapid and effective securing of the reinforces in place on the respective strips; the securing of the fastener members in place after the strip has been reinforced, and the final treatment of the fastener-carrying strip to make it ready for the market.

I will first describe the operation, with reference to the production of the stud strip, Fig. 2,- the operation for. the production of the socket strip of Fig. 1 being similar.

The fabric portion of the stud bearing strip comes originally as a flat ribbon B, as shown in Pig. 6. This is scored along two parallel lines and folded to produce the strip 18 of Fig. '7. Such a strip is rolled up and is then ready for the use with the mechanism for applying the reinforces. The flrst step in my operation on the strip B is to fold back the edge plies, as shown at b in Fig. 8. This unfolding may be started by a sort of plow which spreads the edge piles, and may then be completed by a pair of coacting bars which flatten the strip.

Suitable unfolding mechanism is illustrated by the plow II in Figs. 12 and 15 and the bars I I and I2 of l ig.l2. The operation of these devices, as the strip is drawn along, restores it nearly to its original flat condition of Fig. 6, except that the scored lines remain sufficiently to identify the edge plies for refolding.

The next step is to pass across the unfolded strip B a strip of normally dry adhesive, surmounted by a strip of fabric, each of a width slightly greater than that of the patch. The adhesive is preferably a very thin strip of guttapercha, of a character having only slight adherence until heated, while the fabric is of any closely woven cloth. These two strips overlie the unfolded strip B with the gutta-percha adjacent it; then a section of the two overlying strips is cut out and pressed against the strip B.

Preferably, the running strip 13 is fed periodically, and the transverse strips H and G of canvas and gutta-percha, respectively, are likewise fed periodically, and the punching acts periodically to app y successive canvas patches and gutta-percha as shown in Fig. 9. Then the guttapercha is heated and the parts pressed together to cause a firm adherence of the reinforcing patch to the fabric strip. Thereafter, a hole is punched through the reinforce and fabric, and then the strip is then ready for the next operation.

The mechanism for applying the patches is similar in the case of the socket strip A as that described for the stud strip B; but in the case of the socket strip, the unfolding mechanism is varied to expose the inner face of the wide edge ply to which the reinforces are attached in the same manner as already described.

Now. when the reinforced fabric portion of the strip 8 has been produced and lies with its edge portions extended, the next operation is to apply the stud members, which are shoved from the inner face of the strip, through the reinforcing patch, through the intermediate zone of the strip; then the edge zones of the strip are folded back over the intermediate zone to produce the structure in Fig. 10. Then this structure is submitted to the action of a sewing machine, as illustrated in Fig. 11, where the needle I ll or fabric B is given a circular translation to sew an annu ar row of stitches F close to the edge of the fastener base and through the patch and the fabric on opposite sides thereof, the stitching being continued beyond a complete circle.

In making the strip A, which carries the socket members, stud members are pushed from the outside through the fabric ply a and through the reinforcing patches which have been applied to the inner face thereof, and then the socket members are put in place on the inwardly projecting portions of the studs, the studs thus serving to center the socket members and temporarily hold them in place. When the socket members are thus locked to the fabric ply, the strip is refolded, as shown in Fig. 10a, and is then submitted to the sewing machine of Fig. 11, which sews the annular row of stitchesF through the two plies of fabric and the intermediate patch close to the edge of the socket member. The base of the stud member is preferably slightly smaller than the exterior of the socket member,

and hence does not interfere with the passage of a the needle and thread.

When the socket-carrying strip has had socket members firmly locked in place by the stitching, the next step is to remove the stud members. This may be done by drawing the fabric over a suitable stripping fork, illustrated at H0 in Fig. 17, which successively removes the stud members, leaving the strip as shown in Fig. l.

The application of the fasteners to the fabric having been completed, it remains to give the strips the final treatment to stretch them, so that the distance between fasteners will be of uniform and of standard length, and also to remove wrinkles from the fabric and smooth it. This is accomplished by snapping together, at occasional intervals, socket strips and stud strips and then progressing them as a pair around a tensioning device and through a moistening region, after which they are ironed by suitable rollers so formed that they may act on the fabric while allowing the passage of the fasteners.

Mechanism for accomplishing the results just referred to is illustrated in Fig. 14, where I20 indicates a suitable receptacle carrying socket tapes and stud tapes, and J indicates a pair of such tapes snapped together at intervals of perhaps a yard or so, as indicated at i. In this view, I have shown a standard I22, carrying a roll I23, with which meet a pair of rolls I24. An arm of the standard carries the pivot I25 of a pair of brake bands I26 held by the pressure of the spring I21 around a pulley I28 rigid with the roll I23. This makes a tensioning device for the strips 7 dependent upon the adjustable force of the spring I21.

Beyond the tensioning device just described is a steaming box I30, through which the strip J passes, suitable leakage preventers being shown at I3I. This serves to moisten the strip and also heat it. Beyond the steaming box are a pair of coacting ironing rolls I35 and I35, which are hollow metal members surfaced by very soft fabric facing I31. One of the rolls I35 or I36 is driven, as indicated, by the belt I38. These two rolls are heated by any suitable means, steam pipes I39 being indicated for that purpose, though, if desired, a gas flame might be employed within the roll.

The operation of the apparatus just described, is to draw the pair of strips under tension through the steaming box by the driven rolls which cause the strips to be stretched to a uniform distance and to be ironed smoothly, the soft periphery of 68, the heating coil being fed by current through the ironing rollers allowing the ready passage of the fasteners. delivered, as shown in Fig. 14, ready for packaging for the market.

While the operations of unfolding the original strip, of punching out the reinforces; of heating and pressing the same against the strip, and of punching holes through the reinforces and strip might all be performed by independent mechanisms; or by hand, I prefer to provide mechanisms for effecting these operations mounted in the order of action in a single machine. Such a machine is illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, and will now be described.

In Fig. 12, B indicates a wound-up roll of the folded fabric B of Fig. 7. The strip passes from the roll, first, to the plowshare II, which serves to unfold it partially, and then between a pair of bars II and H which serve to cause it to be substantially fiat without destroying its longitudinal creases.- Then the strip passes through the machine to a pair of feeding rollers 2| and 22 at the far end of the machine. one of which has a peripheral groove 22 to receive the patches, theedge portions of these rollers gripping the edge parts of the fabric strip to feed it. These rollers are periodically turned to feed the fabric in steps, each corresponding to the distance which is to be from the center of one patch to the center of the next.-

The three operations of-punching out and placing the reinforce; of heating the reinforce, and of punching a hole through the center of the reinforce, are performed simultaneously on different patches during the periods of rest in the travel of the strip.

In Fig. 13, H indicates a roll of material for the reinforcing patches, and G a roll of guttapercha. From these two rolls, the strips H and G pass between rolls 3| and 32 and thence through a suitable guiding opening 48 above the strip B, and thence between feeding rolls 35 and 36 which are periodically actuated to feed the two strips H and G in timed relation with the progress of the strip B.

The strip B passes through a longitudinal opening 42 in the frame block 4| directly beneath the strips G and H. A vertical opening, approximately square, is made through the upper portion of the block 4|, leading from the top surface downwardly to the passageway 42. Above this opening is a correspondingly shaped reciprocating plunger 45 mounted on a suitably guided vertically movable cross head 46. As the cross head comes down, the plunger 45, co-acting with the opening 43, which forms a die cuts out substantially square patches of the fabric H and the gutta-percha G and shoves them down onto the strip B, as illustrated in Fig. 13. Then, after the plunger 45 has moved upward to idle position, the rollers 35 and 36 are actuated to bring a fresh portion of the strips G and H beneath the plunger and, at the same time, the rollers 2| and 22 are actuated to progress the strip B and bring a fresh region thereof beneath the plunger.

At a distance in advance of the plunger 45, which is a multiple of the length of each movement of the strip B, is located a heating plunger 50, also carried by the cross head 46. This plunger contains a heating coil 5|, fed by current through electric wires 52, and co-operates with a depressible heating unit below the strip. This latter heating unit comprises, preferably, a suitable tray 68, carrying within it a heating coil 6| between a suitable base 62 and thin metal top The finished strips J are thus wires 68. This tray is pressed upwardly by springs 64 surrounding studs 65, which extend freely through the frame block 4| and guide the tray. The heat applied to the lower face of the plunger 68 and to the underplate 63, by the current, is sufficient to readily soften the guttapercha within the time the patch is pressed between such members without danger of scorching the fabric of the strip or patch.

The normal position of the tray 68 is shown in broken lines in Fig. 12. As the cross head 46 comes down. and while the punch 45 is punching out the reinforcing patch and pressing it down onto the strip B, as previously described, the plunger 58 engages a previously set patch and forces it down against the spring pressed tray for a considerable length of time, relatively speaking. This enables the heat, supplied by the heating coils, to soften the gutta-percha so that it becomes an effective adhesive, and thus the patch is caused to adhere to the strip B. 'I'he spring mounting of the under-heating unit is an important factor, as it materially increases the length of time the fabric is pinched between the two heating units without delaying the operation of the plunger 45, which simply punches out and places the patch.

The cross head 46 carries a third unit, which is the punch 10. This is located at a distance beyond the heating plunger which is a multiple of the feeding step of the fabric B, so that when the reinforce is being applied in one region, and the heating unit is engaging a previously applied reinforce in advance thereof, the punch is acting on a completely applied reinforce. This punch coacts with a die H to form-a small hole through the center of the reinforce and through the fabric strip and discharge the punched-out portion through a frame opening 48.

In Fig. 12, I have located the heating plunger three steps in front of the patch-applying plunger, and the punching plunger three steps in front of the heating plunger; but this number may be varied as desired, providing the location is correlated with the movement of the feeding rollers 2| and 22 so that the three plungers will act simultaneously to perform their respective operations.

Any suitable means may be employed for driving the feeding rollers 2| and 22 for the strip B, and the rollers 5| and 52 for the strips G and H. As shown, I have connected the rollers 2| and 22 by a pair of meshing spur gears 8| and" 82, Fig. 13, and on the shaft 25 fixed to the roller 2| I have placed a bevel pinion 83, meshing with a bevel pinion 84 on a shaft 85 which carries the roller 5|. I connect this roller with roller 52 by meshing spur gears 86 and 81. On the end of the shaft 85, I have placed a ratchet wheel 88 adapted to be operated by a pawl 8| on an oscillating lever 82 actuated by a link 83 having a loose-play connection with movable cross head 46 of the machine.

When the driving connection is as described, it will be seen that on the upward stroke of the cross head 46 the plungers 45, 50 and 18 first withdraw to idle position while the pin 84 on the plunger is moving idly in the slot 95 of the link 93, then the link 83 is raised to rotate'the ratchet wheel 88 to feed the two strips G and H. 'The same movement through the shaft 85 and the shaft 25 rotates the rollers 2| and 22 to feed the strip B. On the down stroke of the cross head,

all the strips are stationary,theratchet pawl OI simply passing idly over the wheel ll.

' It will be seen, therefore, that on each sue.

10 inforce. Then on the next down. stroke, a new reinforce is punched out and placed; a previously placed one heated, and a previously heated one punched. Thus, the reciprocations of the cross head go on continuously, a fresh reinforce-being it completely applied and punched with each strokes I claim:

1. The method of making fastener tape, comprising taking a. strip of fabric, cementing to it patches arranged equi-distantly on the strip, punching through the patches and strip holes which are much smaller than the external contour of the fastener, placing fastener members in central registration with the holes, folding a ply of the fabric over onto the fastener members 25 so that they lie between two piles of fabric, and

then passing an annular row of stitches about each fastener member, the stitches passing through two piles of fabric and the corresponding patch.

2. The method of making fastener tape, comprising feeding longitudinally a main strip of fabric, feeding transversely a cross strip of fabric surmounting a strip of adhesive material, punching patches from the two cross strips and placing 35 them at intervals on the main strip, pressing and heating said patches to cause them to adhere to the main strip, punching holes through the patches and main strip, placing fastener-members which are larger in diameter than the holes 40 in central registration with the holes, and securing the fastener members in place.

3. The method of making fastener tape, comprising feeding longitudinally a main strip of fabric, feeding transversely a cross strip of fabric 45 surmounting a strip of adhesive material, punching out patches from the two cross strips and placing them at intervals on the main strip, pressing and heating said patches to cause them to adhere to the main strip, placing fastener mem- 5 bers in registration with the patches, placing a ply of fabric over the fastener members, and passing an annular row of stitches close about each fastener member through the two plies of fabric and the patch.

55 4. The method of making fastener tape, comprising taking a strip of fabric scored and folded on a longitudinal line, unfolding the strip, affixing patches to the strip at successive intervals, applying fasteners across the face of the patches,

60 refolding the fabric, andpassing annular rows of stitches through the folded plies about the fasteners.

5. The method of making fastener tape, comprising punching holes in the tape, placing stud 65 members from the outer side in said holes, applying socket members to the tape in engagement with the studs, placing a ply of fabric over the socket members, passing an annular row of stitches through both plies of fabric around the 70 respective socket members while the stud members are in place, and thereafter removing the stud members.

6. The method of making fastener tape, comprising placing patches at intervals on a strip 75 of fabric, punching holes through the patches and fabric'; placing socket'fasten'ers "with their sockets in registration with the holes, and temporarily retaining them by studs passing through the fabric and patches. into the .sockets, laying r 7;The method of securing the socket member of a snap fastener to a tape, comprising placing the member with the socket facing the tape, temporarily securing such member by a stud passing through the tapeinto the socket, passing an annular course of stitches about the socket memher through the fabric ply it faces and an overlying ply, and then removing the member which temporarilypositioned the socket member.

. 8. The method of making fastener tape, comprising securing patches at intervals to the tape, punching: holes through the patches and tape, placing fastener members against the faces of the patches with the central regions of such members in registration with the holes, placing a ply of fabric over the fastener members, passing an annular row of stitching about each fastener member close to the periphery thereof, and continuing the stitching beyond a complete circumference.

.9. In' the manufacture of a fastener tape, the steps which comprise snapping together at intervals socket tape and. stud tape, and moistening and pressingthe fabric with the application of heat while stretching the pair of tapes.

'10. The method of making fastener tape, comprising securing isolated patches at regular intervals to a strip of fabric, placing fastener members in'registration' with'the patches and with their bases across the patches and passing an annular course of stitching through the fabric and patches and about the fastener member and close to it.

11. The method of making fastener tape, comprisin'g feeding longitudinally a main strip of fabric, drawing transversely thereof a strip of fabric and a strip of adhesive material between the last mentioned fabric strip and the main fabric strip, cutting out surmounting patches from the two cross strips and causing them to adhere to the main strip, and thereafter securing fastener members in face registration with the patches.

12. The method of making fastener tape, comprising feeding longitudinally a main strip of fabric, placing thereon at regular intervals patches of fabric surmounting patches of dry adhesive material, heating and pressing said surmounting patches to cause them to adhere to the main strip, and thereafter securing fastener members with their bodies extending across the patches and coacting with the fiat faces of the fabric patches.

13. The method of making fastener tape, comprising securing patches at intervals to a face of the tape which is to be on the inside, punching holes smaller than the fasteners through the patches and tape, then placing fastener members against the face of the patches with their centers in registration with the holes, then folding a region of the fabric onto the top of the patches and fasteners, and then stitching through the two piles of fabric and the intermediate patches to hold the fasteners in place.

14. The method of making fastener tape, comprising intermittently progressing a main strip of fabric for the body of the tape, and progressing transversely a strip of normally inactive adhesive material surmounted by a strip of fabric, forming patches from the two surmounting strips without destroying the continuity of such strips and placing such patches while in surmounting registration on the tape during a period of rest in the movement of the tape, and heating the patches and the adjacent portion of the main strip of fabric to cause the adhesive to become active.

15. The method of making fastener tape, comprising taking two strips of fabric crossing each other, punching out patches from the two crossstrips and placing them at intervals on a main strip, pressing and heating said patches to cause them to adhere to the main strip, placing fastening members in registration with the patches and passing an annular row of stitches close about each fastener member through the fabric.

16. The method of making fastener tape, comprising punching holes in the tape, placing stud members in said holes, applying socket members to the tape in engagement with the studs, placing a ply of fabric over the socket member, passing an annular row of stitches through both plies of fabric around the respective socket members while the stud members are in place and thereafter removing the stud members.

17. The method of making fastener tape, comprising securing patches at intervals to the tape, punching holes through the patches and tape, placing fastener members against the faces of the patches with the central region of such member in registration with the hole, placing a ply of fabric over the fastener member and passing an annular row of stitching about each fastener member close to the periphery thereof.

FRANK E. WILSON.- 

